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Authors: Maurice Druon
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up reveal themselves to be full of vice, lies
and debauchery? Moreover, Nephew, it s not as if you . were making a first marriage!"
"All this sounds too good to be true; there must be a fly in the ointment," thought The Hutin. "This Clemence must be one - eyed or hunchbacked."
"And what is she like, good-looking, " he enquired.
"Nephew, I can tell you that she is the most beautiful woman in Na ples and that the painters, so I am assured, try to reproduce her features, when they paint images of the Virgin, Mary in the churches. I remember that even in childhood she promised remarkable beauty, and from everything I hear she has fulfilled that promise."
It certainly seems that she is very beautiful indee d said Monseigneur of Evreux.
"And virt uous," added Charles of Valois. I feel sure that she has all those qualities which were her dear aunts, who was my first wife, ma y God keep her, d o not forget that Louis of Anjou, her other uncle, my, brother-in-law therefore, having relinquished the throne in order to take holy orders, was that saintly Bishop, of Toulouse at whose tomb-miracles are performed."
"Thus we shall have a second Saint Louis," remarked Robert of Artois."
"Your idea seems to me a, happy one, Uncle, said Louis X. "Daughter of a kin g, sister of a king, niece of a king and of a s aint, beautiful and virtuous.'
He seemed; to be dreaming for a moment, and then suddenly cried aloud, "Oh, I hope, at least that she is not dark like Margueri te, for then I could not do it! "
"No no," Valois replied quickly: Have no fear, Nephew; she is fair, of sound Frankish stock."
"And do you think Uncle Charles that the proposal would be agreeable to her and her family."
Monseigneur of Valois swelled up like a turkey cock.
"I have served my relations of Anjou well enough for them to refuse me nothing," he replied. "Queen Marie, who in the past held it an honour to give me one of her daughters, will most cer tainly grant me her granddaughter for the dearest of my nephews, and that she may be queen of the finest kingdom in the world. I shall manage it."
"Then don't waste time, Uncle," said Louis. "Send an embassy to Naples at once. ' What do you think of the idea, Robert? And you, Uncle Louis-? "
Robert advanced a pace, his han ds widespread as if he were proposing to leave, at once for Italy. Louis of Evreux, who had sat down, replied that he approved the idea, but that the decision was as much a matter for the kingdom as for the family, and too important not to require consideration.
"It would seem to me wise," he concluded, "that you should take the advice of your Council."
"So be it," replied Louis excitedly. "There will be a Council tomorrow therefore. I will send to Messire de Marigny telling him to convoke it."
" Why Messire de Marigny? " said Valois, feigning surprise.- "I can very well take care of that myself. Marigny has too many duties and summons Councils in haste merely to approve his pro ceedings without looking into them too closely.. But we shall change all that, and I shall convene a Council more worthy to serve you. Moreover, this was your father's wish. He told me this privately during his last days."
By now their clothes were dry and they dressed.
Louis X gazed intently into the fire. "Beautiful and virtuous," he repeated to himself. "Beautiful and virtuous . . ." Then he was attacked by a fit of coughing and barely heard the others taking their leave.
"I know someone who will lie feverishly between the sheets tonight," said Artois, once they were outside in the corridor. -
"Robert," said Valois reproachfully, "don't forget that from now on you are speaking of the King."
"No, no, 'I don't forget it, and would never say anything like that before others. It doesn't alter the fact that you have put an idea into his head which is already exciting him physically. My God, you managed to sell him your niece Clemence all right! "
Monseigneur of Evreux was thinking of the beautiful princess living in
and debauchery? Moreover, Nephew, it s not as if you . were making a first marriage!"
"All this sounds too good to be true; there must be a fly in the ointment," thought The Hutin. "This Clemence must be one - eyed or hunchbacked."
"And what is she like, good-looking, " he enquired.
"Nephew, I can tell you that she is the most beautiful woman in Na ples and that the painters, so I am assured, try to reproduce her features, when they paint images of the Virgin, Mary in the churches. I remember that even in childhood she promised remarkable beauty, and from everything I hear she has fulfilled that promise."
It certainly seems that she is very beautiful indee d said Monseigneur of Evreux.
"And virt uous," added Charles of Valois. I feel sure that she has all those qualities which were her dear aunts, who was my first wife, ma y God keep her, d o not forget that Louis of Anjou, her other uncle, my, brother-in-law therefore, having relinquished the throne in order to take holy orders, was that saintly Bishop, of Toulouse at whose tomb-miracles are performed."
"Thus we shall have a second Saint Louis," remarked Robert of Artois."
"Your idea seems to me a, happy one, Uncle, said Louis X. "Daughter of a kin g, sister of a king, niece of a king and of a s aint, beautiful and virtuous.'
He seemed; to be dreaming for a moment, and then suddenly cried aloud, "Oh, I hope, at least that she is not dark like Margueri te, for then I could not do it! "
"No no," Valois replied quickly: Have no fear, Nephew; she is fair, of sound Frankish stock."
"And do you think Uncle Charles that the proposal would be agreeable to her and her family."
Monseigneur of Valois swelled up like a turkey cock.
"I have served my relations of Anjou well enough for them to refuse me nothing," he replied. "Queen Marie, who in the past held it an honour to give me one of her daughters, will most cer tainly grant me her granddaughter for the dearest of my nephews, and that she may be queen of the finest kingdom in the world. I shall manage it."
"Then don't waste time, Uncle," said Louis. "Send an embassy to Naples at once. ' What do you think of the idea, Robert? And you, Uncle Louis-? "
Robert advanced a pace, his han ds widespread as if he were proposing to leave, at once for Italy. Louis of Evreux, who had sat down, replied that he approved the idea, but that the decision was as much a matter for the kingdom as for the family, and too important not to require consideration.
"It would seem to me wise," he concluded, "that you should take the advice of your Council."
"So be it," replied Louis excitedly. "There will be a Council tomorrow therefore. I will send to Messire de Marigny telling him to convoke it."
" Why Messire de Marigny? " said Valois, feigning surprise.- "I can very well take care of that myself. Marigny has too many duties and summons Councils in haste merely to approve his pro ceedings without looking into them too closely.. But we shall change all that, and I shall convene a Council more worthy to serve you. Moreover, this was your father's wish. He told me this privately during his last days."
By now their clothes were dry and they dressed.
Louis X gazed intently into the fire. "Beautiful and virtuous," he repeated to himself. "Beautiful and virtuous . . ." Then he was attacked by a fit of coughing and barely heard the others taking their leave.
"I know someone who will lie feverishly between the sheets tonight," said Artois, once they were outside in the corridor. -
"Robert," said Valois reproachfully, "don't forget that from now on you are speaking of the King."
"No, no, 'I don't forget it, and would never say anything like that before others. It doesn't alter the fact that you have put an idea into his head which is already exciting him physically. My God, you managed to sell him your niece Clemence all right! "
Monseigneur of Evreux was thinking of the beautiful princess living in
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